Crate.



W. W & C. G. McCLAY.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1910.

1,277,094. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

t nrrnn s'rarns PATENT ()FFIQE.

WILLIAM W. MCCLAY AND CLARENCE GILBERT MGCLAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

- (IRATE- rarnoea.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Aug. 27, 19,18-

Application filed March 8, 1918. Serial No. 221,177.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WIL IAM XV. Mc- CLAY and CLARENCE G. MCCLAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification. I

The crate which is the subject matter of the present application for patent is designed more particularly for use in shipping sewing machines, and the invention has for its object to provide a simple,'strong and Y durable crate for this purpose, and also' one which is collapsible or foldable into small and compact form so that it can be returned to the shipper at a small cost for re-use.

With the object stated in view, the invention consists in a novel combination and ar-' rangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that, the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, but it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the 7 invention as claimed hereinafter. 80

In the draWing- Figure '1 is a perspective View crate;

Fig. 2- is a diagram illustrating the manner in which the crate is foldable,

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail; and Fig. 4: is a perspective view of aijoint employed at one end of the crate. i

The crate is made of metal tubing and is of rectangular skeleton form, the tubing being arranged and connected in the ing manner:

Two laterally spaced tubes 5 have upward bends 6 at their ends where they are conof the tinned to a suitable height to form vertical also provided with bottom corner braces 13,

follow and a longitudinal rail 14: connects the top The coupling T bars 11, 12, 13, 11*, etc., are loose on the posts I so that the latter are free to turn therein. It will therefore'be seen that there is pro- .vided a pivotal connection between the cross bars and the posts, and the crate may be folded, this being done by swinging the cross bars to extend obliquely between the sides, which brings the sides closely together. This action isillustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 which shows-at A the normal position of the crate; at B the partly folded position and at Cthe crate is shown completely folded.

Before the crate can be 'folded as de scribed, the top rail 14; must be removed, and in order that this may be readily done, its i I? ends are provided with knuckles 17 and 17 to receive'the cross bars 11 and 11 respectively, The knuckle 17 is forked to "straddle the cross bar 11 The cross bar ll'is in two alined sections having their abutting and slightly reduced ends seating in the knuckle 17, and their outer ends seating slidably over the stems of the coupling meni'-' bers 15 by which they are connected to the posts 7 Hence, it will be seen that the two sectionsof the cross bars may be slipped out of the knuckles 17 which disconnects the rail 14 from the cross bar 11, permitting said rail to be removed from the crossbar 11 and enabling the crate to be folded.

When the rail 14' is in place it serves as a guard for the sewing machine, protecting the'top of the latter from injury by a heavy object placed upon it. w v

' The length of the crate conforms to the length of the machine body, but as thelegs of the machine are usually closer together, a short platform 18 is mounted on each bottom bar 5, on which the legs rest. The top rail is rounded near its ends, as shown at 19, to slope over the superposed boards forming themachine top or table. Thetop rails 10 are offset inwardly from the sides of the cratesufliciently to overhang the top of the machine.

Suitable sheet metal guard plates 20 are their purpose being to shield the machine from being marred by the crate. Similar shields or guards may be provided for the crate ends.

The crate is designed withone of its ends removable, to permit a sewing machine to be anoved into ,theicrate preparatory to assembling the latter for-shipping. The cross bars 11, 12 and 13 are designed withalocking device in their ends to permit said cross bars .to be quickly connected and locked to the coupling members 15 when the crate is assembled, and as quickly disconnected and removed when the crate is to have one end open for the removal of its contents.

The locking device mentioned above, ,and shown in Fig. 4, comprises opposed grooves 20 cut into each of the cross bars 11, 12 and 13, at both ends, the inner end of said grooves assuming a lateral course, aslwell as a curvature, tocorrespond with thecurvature of the inner surface of the cross bar, as shown at 21; and studs 22 projecting from opposite sides of the stems of the coupling members 15. To make the connection between a coupling member and the end of a cross bar, thestem of the coupling is inserted into the end of the cross bar with the studs 22 disposed in the grooves 20, and,

, When the inner endof the latter is reached, the crossbar is twisted s1dew1se to locate the studs in {the-extensions 21 of the grooves 20, thus locking the cross bar from witl drawal. As shown, the groove extensions are directed in opposite Ways to secure combined'locking action when the cross bar is twisted.

.ifnyorder to set up the crate foinreceiving a machine Which is to beshipped, the crate is first opened from the position of diagram C of Fig. 2 to that of diagram A; tl1e machine .is next moved into the-space within the crate to rest on the platforms 18; and finally,-the sides ofthe crate are slightly spread to permit the application and looking of the top bar 14, and cross bars 11, 12 and 13, thus renderingthe shipment ready for handling. It will be understood, of course, that the above-described locking device vrepresents but one means for securing the open end of the crate; various other locking devices adaptable to the design of the crate may be used, and we do not wish to restrict our claimto the form of locking device illustrated {in the present instance.

The structure hereinbefore described providesa light, strong and durable crate, and also one which can be folded into small and compact form forcon'venient and cheap return to the shipper, and although the crate is designed more particularly for sewing machines, it will be understood that the structure can also be employed in connection with crates for shipping other articles of merchandise. The invention is also not limitedto tubing, but any other suitable light and strong material may be used in the manufacture of the crate.

e claim: 7

-1. A crate composed of a pair of parallel and spaced bottom side bars, upstanding corner posts rising from the ends of said bars, end cross bars connecting the respective ,pairs of corner posts, the connection between said cross-bars and the corner posts being a pivotal one, and said cross bars at onecnd being also detachable from the corresponding corner posts, and a longitudinal top bar connecting the top ones of the end cross bars and detachable therefrom.

2. A crate having sides .and ends which are pivotally connectechthe ends of the crate including a top cross bar, a longitudinal bar connecting the (top cross bars of the crate ends and detachably connected thereto, saidcrossbars being composed of alined sections having slidable connections with the crate sides, and the longitudinal bar having knuckles at :its ends in which the abutting. ends .of the sections iremovably seat.

3. A crate :havingsides and tends which are pivotally'connected, theends ofthe crate includingtop,unedialhand bottom cross bars, the .bars at oneend of thecrate being detachable :from the sides thereof to render said end of the crate open, said bars also carrying devices for the locking thereof to the sides of the crate; a longitudinal bar connecting the top cross bars of the crate ends and detachably connected thereto, said longitudinal bar having knuckles at itsends through which the said top cross bars pass.

4. Acrate composed of a pair of parallel and spaced bottom side bars, upstanding corner posts rising from the ends of .said bars, end cross bars connecting the respective pairs .of corner posts, the connection between said cross bars and the corner posts being a pivotal one, and said cross bars at one end being also detachable from the corresponding c'orner posts, a longitudinal top cross bar connecting the top-one ofthe end cross bars and detachable therefrom, and article-supporting means carried by the bottom side bars.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

WILLIAM 1W. McGLAY. CLARENCE GILBERT McCLAY.

Copies ,Qf,th1 patent maybeobtain ed for five cents each, byeddressing the Commissioner of Patents. washington h. G. 

